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Former Cattle Council boss speaks out on Gaza incident

There's growing concern the latest revelation of animal cruelty overseas is causing a crisis of confidence for the cattle industry and the Australian public

Charlie McKillop

Opponents of the live export trade may have found an unlikely ally, following the release of the latest disturbing footage of cattle being treated inhumanely, this time in Gaza.

Greg Brown is a fourth generation grazier in far north Queensland and a former boss of the Cattle Council of Australia.

Mr Brown says the operator at the centre of the scandal in Gaza should not be allowed to ship animals out of Australia until it's been cleared of wrongdoing.

"I'm quite amazed to see this having occurred and it having been around for months and the live exporter allegedly responsible hasn't had his licence suspended."

"Until he is exonerated, I think there should not be any chance of this particular exporter is going to put cattle back into that market or any market for that matter."

The Australian Livestock Exporters' Council released a statement yesterday indicating it referred the footage which is describes as "disturbing and graphic" to the Federal Department of Agriculture on November 20, about one month after it appeared on the internet.

But he says the entire beef cattle industry will be judged harshly as a result and leaders cannot afford to dismiss it as another isolated incident.

"It's just unacceptable and these things shouldn't happen."

But the Cattle Council's Jed Matz says he only became aware of the footage last week and has defended the industry's response.

And the CEO of the Australian Live Exporters Council, Alison Penfold, is defending the standard of the investigation.

'We all share the same serious concern about the footage in Gaza.

'But I'm sure Greg (Brown) appreciates, if he were in a similar situation, he'd like that natural justice were accorded.

"The exporter has been very transparent and upfront about taking action in the supply chain."

But the CEO of the RSPCA, Heather Neil, says it's more proof that there need to be major improvements.

"There has been improvements in recent years, but what we do know about the live export industry is that those improvements have come only when there have been poor practices overseas highlighted by animal welfare groups."